Tag Archives: Andrew Patrick MURRAY

Ever tried to stop your great grannie from being dug up, her bones squeezed into a tiny box, being replaced and a stranger plonked on top?… a matter for grave concern indeed and my topic for this week’s “Family History Through the Alphabet” challenge.

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It took many, many long years to locate the “final resting place” of Eliza Jane (Rowen) Murray born at Armagh (near Clare), South Australia, on 1 May 1867 and died in Adelaide, South Australia, on 26 Jul 1955. She was the fifth daughter of “my Susan” – Susan Kelleher from County Clare, Ireland whose “Bride Ship”, the “Nashwauk”, was wrecked off the coast of South Australia, 13 May 1855. Her father was Timothy Rowen who arrived at Port Adelaide, aboard the Utopia on 9 Jul 1858, with his two brothers, and sister-in-law. Timothy was Susan’s 2nd husband also from County Clare, Ireland.

Eliza Jane (Rowen) Murray – (c) C.Crout-Habel

On 3 Jan 1886, at St Peters Catholic Church, Gladstone (near Laura), South Australia, Eliza Jane married Peter Murray, a new arrived Irishman from County Cork. Shortly after marrying, the newly-weds moved to Broken Hill, New South Wales, where Peter, Walter and Elizabeth Mary Murray (my Nana) were born. Nana was the first of their children to survive. Six years later the family moved back to Laura and 8 more children were born. Eliza Jane finished her days living happily with her youngest son Vic, his wife Jessie and their 4 children; Dulcie, Peter, Helen and Suzanne at Cheltenham, South Australia.

After a long and productive life, my Great Grandmother died at the home of her daughter, Hilda (Murray, Mundy) Steinle, in Clapham, South Australia. It was 26 Jul 1955 and just 2 short years after the death of her eldest daughter (my Nana) when Eliza Jane (Rowen) Murray was “laid to rest” at Cheltenham Cemetery, South Australia, Australia. Her gravesite featured strongly in my chilhood and loomed large in mum’s memories… why? Her voice would thicken, and tears would fall, as she spoke of the behaviour of the priest;

“It was terrible Catherine… it started to rain… that man jabbered and he raced through it and he jumped over her open grave to get out of the rain”.

So distraught, and distressed, was mum over this lack of respect for “such a devout and pious woman”, I can only guess at what she would be thinking now, 56 years later, as I do battle to stop this very same grave, finally located only just last year, from being desecrated.

The problem is that the 50 year lease expired 7 years ago and, if it’s no re-newed, the grave will be reused. However, the “grant holder” is my great Uncle Andy who died in 1972. My present task is to go through the designated list of HIS direct/ blood rellies to determine who is now entitled to exercise his “rights” and either;

* pay the $3025 to renew the lease, or
* sign grannie’s gravesite over to me so I can do so

This will ensure that Eliza Jane’s grave is not desecrated, she can remain buried and not have strangers plonked on top.

To enable this “Grave concern…” to be put to rest, please contact me if you are a blood relation, or know the whereabout of a blood relation, of:

THANKS FOR DROPPING BY…

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